Postdoctoral and PhD Vacancies in Food Structure Design – New Zealand
Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world’s largest dairy exporter, and the New Zealand
Government have formed a Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) to invest in Research and
Development in the dairy sector. One of the major streams of work will be in Food
Structure Design with funding confirmed for a seven year period. This work will focus on
the links between food manufacturing processes, food structure, food physical and chemical
properties and sensory perception for a range of dairy foods including cheeses, cultured
foods, creams and beverages.
We are commencing recruitment for the initial portfolio of projects and currently looking for
a total of four postdoctoral researchers and six PhD students. The successful candidates will
be part of a multidisciplinary, multi-university team developing our capability and scientific
excellence in food structure design for dairy materials. Massey University, Auckland
University, Canterbury University and the University of Queensland (Australia) will be
involved in the initial portfolio of projects. Each project will have at least one university
supervisor plus a supervisor from the Fonterra Research Centre in Palmerston North, the
world’s largest dairy research centre with more than 350 staff.
The overall programme of research in Food Structure Design will be coordinated by the
Fonterra Chair in Food Materials Science, Professor Peter Munro, at the Riddet Institute,
Massey University, Palmerston North. The Riddet Institute is the primary external research
provider to the PGP Programme, and is the national Centre of Research Excellence in food
and nutrition with government and industry funding that currently supports about 15
research fellows/postdoctoral fellows and 50 PhD students. The postdoctoral researchers
and PhD students in Food Structure Design will be expected to interact with other members
of the team including attendance at an annual Food Structure Design symposium. This
annual symposium will be attended by an International expert panel in Food Structure
Design who evaluate the overall programme of research and offer additional ideas on each
project. Members of the expert panel are Professor Erich Windhab, ETH Zurich, Professor
Allen Foegeding, North Carolina State University, Associate-Professor Jason Stokes,
University of Queensland and Associate-Professor Matt Golding, Massey University.
We are currently developing a training course in key elements of the R&D process in
conjunction with the Riddet Institute that will be available for all PhD and postdoctoral
members of the programme.
We are keen to attract candidates who have a pragmatic approach to research, who wish to
work in a challenging team environment and who would like to know that their research
results will be relevant and will be used commercially in due course. This is a valuable
opportunity to work with a number of the leading thinkers in the field.
PhD funding for the programme will cover university enrolment fees and project costs plus a
generous tax-free student stipend. Postdoctoral salaries will depend on prior experience
with an indicative minimum of NZ$64,000 per year.
The initial vacancies along with the specific skills needed and the email address of the
university Chief Supervisor are listed below. For technical details of specific projects that
you may be interested in please email the supervisor for a detailed project description that
will include details on how to apply for that vacancy.
Project 1 - Model Systems for Alternate Make Cheese
Postdoctoral Fellow – 2 years – Chemical/Process engineer – Process Scale-up
PhD – Chemical or food engineer, food technologist – Cheese rheology
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 2 – Coalesence Mechanisms in Dairy Emulsions
Postdoctoral Fellow – 3 years - Food Scientist/Chemist/Physical Chemist with experience in
colloid chemistry
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 3 – Design of Cheese Filler Particles
PhD - Food Scientist/Chemist/Physical Chemist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 4 – Colloidal Interactions in Cheese
PhD – Food Scientist/Chemist/Physical Chemist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 5 – Emulsifier-free Process Cheese
PhD – Food Scientist/Chemist/Physical Chemist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 6 – Structure/Material Property Relationships in Cheese
PhD – Chemist, Chemical/Mechanical Engineer, Materials Scientist, Food Scientist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 7 – Particle Growth and Stability - Aggregation dynamics and interaction forces
Postdoctoral Fellow – 3 years – Chemist/Physicist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]
Project 8 – Enhanced Protein Functionality
PhD – chemist/biochemist
Chief Supervisor – [email protected]